(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of home video entertainment and more particularly it is directed to systems for controlling the viewing of television receivers and associated equipment such as but not confined to cable boxes, satellite boxes, VCRs and video games.
(2) Prior Art
It is becoming increasingly important to control the television and video viewing of children on an ongoing basis, especially at times when personal supervision cannot be provided. Ideally there should be agreed upon ground rules about which channels can be watched, at what time, on what days, and how much total viewing is allowed per day, per week or per month. Even with such agreement, effective management and enforcement becomes a formidable problem for busy working parents, and too often excessive viewing tends to get out of hand and become increasingly unmanageable.
Programmable television receiver controllers were disclosed by one of the present inventors, J. N. Jackson in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,081,754 and 4,228,543 wherein a digital control clock selects pre-entered information regarding selection or blocking of particular channels at particular time intervals presettable in half hour steps throughout a predetermined period such as a one week time period. The '754 patent comprises random access memory means, control and data lines, clock means, control means, first and second program means and channel selection entry means. The '543 patent comprises random access memory means, storing means, read means and control means for controlling a television receiver according to data read from the memory means.
Within the subcategory of U.S. prior art patents that teach control of viewing time without regard to different channels, one subcategory, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,060,079 and 4,348,696 to Beierto Rufus-Isaacs, monitors or records time used from a total time allotment and gives indication of remaining time. Another subcategory, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,372 to Sweetser and 5,051,837 to McJunkin, provides options of selectable time periods. Optionally different viewers may be identified and assigned different time allotments.
Another subcategory of prior art patents, exemplified by
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,107 to Hayes, and 5,053,884 to Kamijyo, teaches controlling the channels viewed without regard to time of day or total viewing time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,623 to Bonneau et al for a TELEVISION CHANNEL LOCKOUT teaches user inputting a non-volatile memory for inhibiting selected channels for a predetermined period of time, but utilizes only a conventional alpha-numeric display device.
There is an unfilled need for a viewing controller system that allows the parent comprehensive and user-friendly pre-programming control over both channels and time periods of viewing for a predetermined future time period, e.g. the coming week, with display capability that provides a graphic display that shows the channel/time relationship.